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Page 15
"Yes, yes, that is what I feared. But is it not terrible to think
that he should have died this way--by the hand of a murderer?"
"H'm! And you cannot remember any possible friend he may have
found--some schoolboy friend of his youth, perhaps, with whom he
had again struck up an acquaintance."
"Oh, no, no, I am positive of that. John could not bear to hear
the names even of the people he had known before his misfortune.
Still, I do remember his once having spoken of a man, a German he
had met in Chicago and rather taken a fancy to, and who had also
returned to Germany."
"Could this possibly have been the man to whom the letter is
addressed?"
"No, no. This friend of John's was not married; I remember his
saying that. And he lived in Germany somewhere--let me think--yes,
in Frankfort-on-Main."
"And do you remember the man's name?"
"No, I cannot, I am sorry to say. John only mentioned it once. It
was only by a great effort that I could remember the incident at all."
"And has it not struck you as rather peculiar that this friend, the
one to whom the cordial letter was addressed, did not come forward
and make his identity known? G-- is a city, it is true, but it is
not a very large city, and any man being on terms of intimate
acquaintance with one who was murdered would be apt to come forward
in the hope of throwing some light on the mystery."
"Why, yes, I had not thought of that. It is peculiar, is it not?
But some people are so foolishly afraid of having anything to do
with the police, you know."
"That is very true, Miss Roemer. Still it is a queer incident and
something that I must look into."
"What do you believe?" asked the girl tensely.
"I am not in a position to say as yet. When I am, I will come to
you and tell you."
"Then you do not think that my guardian killed John--that there
was a quarrel between the men?"
"There is, of course, a possibility that it may have been so. You
know your guardian better than I do, naturally. Our knowledge of
a man's character is often a far better guide than any circumstantial
evidence."
"My guardian is a man of the greatest uprightness of character. But
he can be very hard and pitiless sometimes. And he has a violent
temper which his weak heart has forced him to keep in control of
late years."
"All this speaks for the possibility that there may have been a
quarrel ending in the fatal shot. But what I want to know from
you is this--do you think it possible, that, this having happened,
Albert Graumann would not have been the first to confess his
unpremeditated crime? Is not this the most likely thing for a man
of his character to do? Would he so stubbornly deny it, if it had
happened?"
The girl started. "I had not thought of that! Why, why, of course,
he might have killed John in a moment of temper, but he was never
a man to conceal a fault. He is as pitiless towards his own
weakness, as towards that of others. You are right, oh, you must
be right. Oh, if you could take this awful fear from my heart!
Even my grief for John would be easier to bear then."
Muller rose from his chair. "I think I can promise you that this
load will be lifted from your heart, Miss Roemer."
"Then you believe--that it was just a case of murder for robbery?
For the money? And John had some valuable jewelry, I know that."
"I do not know yet," replied Muller slowly, "but I will find out,
I generally do."
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